Lajeunesse Residence

We were hired by a young couple to do a complete renovation of a house built by the clients grandfather, now housing its third generation of the same family. They wanted to combine the two existing apartments into a single family house on two levels. Their request was that we created something modern and bright. Due to the noisy street at the front of the house, the main living spaces were placed at the back facing north creating the challenge of bringing direct sunlight into these spaces. A double height light-well topped with a skylight, aids in bringing light to the centre of the house.

On the ground floor, a wall of translucent sliding panels protects the living spaces from unwanted gazes from the street as well as acting as a vestibule in winter. A plywood handrail wraps around the stair and folds at the base becoming a long bench for the dining table. Two intersecting steel bars are suspended over the dining table acting as both a sculptural element and the direct and indirect lighting for the dining area. A simple pallet unifies the custom furniture around the house; folded steel plates, white wooden shelves, and russian plywood. A play of angled white steel tubes supports the dining table, the kitchen island, and a glass handrail. The final result is humble and cosy, with each object falling naturally into place.